Dirk Wuttke celebrates 15 years at smartclip

We might be a bit biased here, but we genuinely believe that our colleagues are some of the best in the industry. What’s particularly noteworthy is that we not only have an average employee tenure of 4.5 years, but a handful of our employees have been with us for over a decade — a pretty rare feat in the adtech industry. So we wanted to celebrate the achievement and dedication of our OG colleagues. To start off, we’re celebrating Dirk Wuttke, the Senior Technical Product Manager – Ad Delivery at smartclip, who has been with us for 15 years. Yes, you read that right, 15 years. He’s been with us practically since the beginning, and we’re honoured he’s chosen to continue being a part of our team. As this year marks his 15th anniversary at smartclip, we sat down with him and asked him a few questions about his time at the company. 

What was your biggest achievement in your 15 years at smartclip?

This is not really easy to answer, but I would say building up and establishing the Ad Operations Department in Gütersloh was a really big one — even though the Ad Operations Department has become reorganised and decentralised.

Another achievement would have to be watching my colleagues grow and develop in their careers. For example, many of my colleagues had their first experiences working in the industry as a part of my team, and some of them are still working at smartclip but now in key functions. A great example of this would be Gloria Eichler, who started as an intern on my team and has recently been appointed smartclip’s Chief Product Officer. 

What was the most significant change you experienced during your 15 years?

There have been many changes in the past 15 years. smartclip has been sold twice in that time. There was also a merger and demerger with SpotX, and a company split resulting in some of my colleagues moving to Ad Alliance — the national sales house for RTL Deutschland. Most recently, we’ve transitioned into a 100% adtech development company, following our media division’s move to form RTL AdAlliance with G+J iMS, and RTL AdConnect. Because of this, some of my teammates also moved to the new company. Fortunately, I still get to see them often since employees from all three companies share the new office in Rheda. 

But the biggest change in my daily work came from moving the Operations Team from the media to the tech division.

What made you decide to join smartclip?

Before I joined smartclip, I was working for another company in the industry called Lycos Europe. A big part of my decision to move to smartclip was that I’d be part of the start-up team, setting up and developing a completely new team and location in Gütersloh. Along with the professional opportunity, there was also a personal aspect since most of the start-up team were people I knew from my former role — including the two founders of smartclip, Roland and Jean-Pierre. 

What made you decide to stay at smartclip? 

From day one, we had a really good working atmosphere, which is very important to me. The video market has been growing rapidly and I find it fulfilling to work for a company that continues to thrive despite the many obstacles in its way. 

What is your favourite memory?

There are far too many to name just one but many, here are a bunch

• The move to our first and now, former office in Gütersloh
• The most recent move to our current office in Rheda-Wiedenbrück
• The “rebuy” of smartclip from Adconion
• The rollout of our smartx platform
  

What is your favourite thing about working at smartclip?  

Aside from the interesting industry we work in, I really enjoy the spirit of the team and company. I started my career in what was called the “old economy”, meaning that this industry was less open and less innovative in the ways they operated. Not only that but the interactions and relationships between colleagues were also totally different. Because of my past experiences, I really appreciate that smartclip’s culture is the complete opposite of the old economy. 

Do you remember your first day? 

For sure I do. My first day at smartclip was in the living room of my former manager since the actual office was not yet operational. We were in total startup mode and being a part of it was thrilling.

How has your job changed over the years? 

When I started at smartclip, we were a sales house with technical partners so my job changed from a customer service focus to a technical support and development focus.

What advice would you give someone interested in a similar career? 

Keep an open mind, and be willing to learn new things. Don’t see mistakes as failures, but rather as learning experiences. 

A lot can happen in 15 years, and Dirk has been with us through it all. We are honoured and inspired by his dedication. Such a remarkable journey is a sign that we might be doing something right. Perhaps, also a sign for you to start writing your story with us too — check out our open roles!